INTERVIEW:
Carly Wilford
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I am not sure whether…
I can do full justice to the talents of the amazing Carly Wilford. I have interviewed her a couple of times before for my website. However, as she has had such a busy and incredible year, I wanted to check back in. You can follow Carly Wilford on Instagram. Check out her music. One of the very best DJs in the world, she has travelled the world and has played some truly huge and prestigious festivals. I have known her for a long time now, and I am always blown away! Such energy and passion in everything she does! Also, go and check out her official website. It is a real pleasure to interview her again. Before I get there, below is some biography about and insight into the spectacular Carly Wilford:
“With her weekly show 4:4 on Tomorrowland One World Radio, Carly Wilford pioneers the first ever dedicated house music show on the station. Bringing the underground to the global stage and championing club culture on one of the world’s biggest dance platforms. After a breakout run of releases that landed across Spotify and Apple Music’s most influential playlists, Carly has secured her space as one of the most promising names in dance music. This summer marked a turning point: opening for Paco Osuna and Armand Van Helden, sharing line-ups with Tini Gessler and Franky Wah and dropping peak-time sets at Tomorrowland, Glastonbury and Boardmasters. With tunes out on Toolroom, Armada and Nervous Records, Carly’s now channelling a darker, more club-driven sound with stripped-back grooves, heavy low-end and raw percussion. It’s a shift that marks her evolution from selector to serious producer; one who’s not just playing the scene but pushing it forward .Her high energy sets bring forward a new wave of house music whilst honouring the very roots of the scene she grew up raving to. After learning to produce in lockdown and hearing the statistic that only 2% of women were Music Producers, Carly decided that there was work to be done. Joining Toolroom Records, Toolroom Academy Course, she set out to learn how to make music.
Going on to release her debut single ‘Generation X’ with Mr V on the label with the track being signed within ten months of her laying down her first beat on the course. Found behind the decks at the UK’s most celebrated clubs and touring festivals across the world, she strongly connects both the US and UK music scenes, her solid roots in the UK have helped to bring through so many of the artists on today’s airwaves. Her confidence to take risks on musicians from a very early stage has seen her build bonds with the likes of Sam Smith, SG Lewis, Rudimental and Skrillex who have all spoken publicly about her unrivalled support. As a Presenter, she fronted travel documentary 'Sampled' on MTV & Paramount Plus starring alongside renegade Marc Rebillet. The episode saw them explore London's rich musical foundations and channel the rebellious energy of the city, from making a Grime beat in Jammer's basement to shutting down Shoreditch with an unannounced street rave. Alongside music, Carly broke new ground launching meditation and wellbeing platform a:live. An essential support network to the unconventional, always on, culture of the music industry. Having worked as a Personal Trainer before jumping into the music business, her knowledge and experience has created an invaluable space bringing together some of the most ambitious minds in health, fitness and performance”.
I wanted to talk to Carly Wilford about her eventful and incredible year as a DJ, artist and producer. I was also keen to learn more about the physical demands of the job and how she manages that. Such a high-energy and sometimes gruelling commitment, I also asked Wilford about ongoing inequality and misogyny that women face as DJs. Whether we are going to see improvements and what needs to be done. I was keen to know more about her phenomenal music and what we can expect going forward. Having played across the U.K. and Europe this year, it is going to be a moment of brief reflection and rest before embarking on what is likely to be a huge, glittering and truly memorable 2026. I previously interviewed DJ Rowena Alice, and here is another queen of the decks who talks about her experiences. Always so wonderful to speak with someone who I…
ADMIRE and respect enormously.
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Hi Carly. How has this year been for you? What have been your highlights and outstanding moments of 2025?
2025 has been one of the biggest and most exciting years of my career so far. It’s crazy, because stepping in to it, I’d just closed the door on a really challenging 2024. I think choosing to let that be the fuel to smash this year was a real turning point. Looking back, there have been so many highlights, but starting my radio show, 4:4 on Tomorrowland One World Radio (this curated playlist is amazing), in January was so pivotal. It’s the first fully dedicated House music show on the station, and I love being able to represent the artists and the sound that I love to a global audience. I have so much respect for the team at Tomorrowland, not only are they incredible to work with, they dream big and make magic happen. Playing the House of Fortune stage at this year’s Tomorrowland was something I’ll never forget. Gigs like that make you really step up as an artist. Other stand-out moments were playing before Paco Osuna in Ibiza at the end of the summer; warming up for Armand Van Helden to a packed-out crowd at Love to Be Festival in Harrogate; playing The Glade Dome at Glastonbury, and standing on stage at Boardmasters and realising I was playing to over 6,000 people. It’s amazing to sit back and think about it, because sometimes you can be so busy that you forget to take it in, so thank you!
You are wrapping up a tour at the moment and have played across the U.K. and Ibiza. Do you have to adapt your set and change things between towns and cities? How important are the venues and the vibe from the crowds when it comes to setlist, and how you perform as a DJ?
Every set I play is totally different. I always create a playlist of tunes to select from before gigs, but often it can change as soon as you step on stage. Reading a crowd and knowing what will work in different venues is part of the art. Connecting to an audience and feeling out where you should take a set is so instinctive, and it’s listening to that which builds the energy and vibe between you, the music and the people who have come to see you. The crew that come to my sets are proper ravers and they are always up for it, which means that things get crazy. As a DJ, you never know what you are walking in to, and there are always so many variables. Across the summer, I stepped on stage to shows that were way bigger than I imagined. During that I’ve had my headphones stop working, the tunes on my USB decide to not play, and under that pressure, you still have to make sure that you deliver. I’ve had so many moments this year where I’ve looked out and realised that the things I dreamed of a few years ago were unravelling in real time. I’ll never ever take that for granted and if anything, it makes you think bigger and decide to push even further.
“My love for Ibiza started back then and grows stronger every time I visit”
Ibiza seems to hold a special place in your heart. What is it like playing on the island and its people, and how was it playing the Tomorrowland Store?
When I first got in to raving, I found myself at Manumission in Ibiza at sunrise and loved the feeling of hedonism, connection and freedom that I felt on the dance floor. We went on from there to Space Carry On, and as we walked in it was daylight on the terrace. We were given feathers in our hair and coloured paint on our faces, and looking around the club, everyone had been made in to Native Americans. They were playing the sexiest Balearic House and we danced until late in to the afternoon. It was such a golden era for the island - and a time I will never ever forget. My love for Ibiza started back then and grows stronger every time I visit. As a raver, I never knew that I’d go on to have a career as a DJ, so playing there is always so special. The people and the crowds are like nowhere else in the world, and the island sets the pace for so much of Electronic music globally. I’ve been so lucky to spend so much time out in Ibiza this year; from being in the studio making music to playing gigs there and broadcasting 4:4 from the Tomorrowland Store too. We closed out the season with sets from some of the island’s most-loved DJs, from Paco Osuna, Tini Gessler, Franky Wah and Francisco Allendes - which felt like such a strong end to an unforgettable season.
As part of your sets, you must play unsigned acts and lesser-known music that is discovered after they are heard on your setlists. Is that one of the most rewarding elements of your work?
Hunting out unsigned artists and undiscovered music was how I started out in the music industry, and it’s something that has been ever-present in my career. Being able to share tunes that people are yet to know about and give those musicians a platform to be heard is not only hugely rewarding but something that is so important, especially with where the industry is at right now. There are more producers and DJs than ever before, and with so much music being released, it’s very difficult for people’s art to reach audiences like it used to. This is why tastemakers are so important.
Like other areas of the music industry, there is gender inequality and discrimination when it comes to female DJs In terms of opportunities, pay imbalance and underrepresentation on festival line-ups. Do you think that there has been any improvement in these areas, and what does the industry need to do?
This is such a tricky conversation, because in all honesty, over the last year it seems to have taken a real step backwards. We had got to a place where line-ups were hugely diverse, but now I’ve noticed that sometimes I can be the only female on there again. The calibre of diverse talent globally is stronger than it has ever been, so really there are no excuses. The diversity conversation isn’t new. So many of us have been fighting for it for a long time, and we should never not appreciate the progress that has been made, especially when it comes to respect in the booth and on dance floors. Things were very, very different ten years ago and trust me, we have come a lot further than we realise. As an industry, I think it’s more about ongoing awareness and day to day decisions when it comes to programming line-ups and highlighting the next wave of talent. I still feel so proud of where the industry is at and how many powerhouse women are at the helm because, for that, it’s never been stronger.
Maybe an obvious answer, but do you listen to a lot of music away from DJ sets, or prefer switching off? In terms of the music you are drawn to and your favourite albums and artists, what would be on your personal playlist?
It’s interesting, because the music that I listen to generally is very different to what I produce or play. I rarely watch TV, and I always have a playlist playing through the speakers at home, in my car or whilst I’m training. To switch off, I listen to chill-out Electronic playlists with artists like Four Tet, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Nora En Pure, TSHA, Fred again.., and Bicep. Been loving the Spatial Audio sets on Apple Music from UNVRS and Hï in Ibiza this year. You can hear the crowd, and it catapults you to being on the dancefloor, especially if you listen in headphones. I’m forever listening back to sets of the artists that I rate to check out their blends and track selection. Some of my favourite DJs have to be Solomon, Carlita, Illario Alicante, Andrea Oliva, Honey Dijon, Green Velvet, and Hot Since 82.
One thing I notice about DJs is how much energy you need and how physical it is! In terms of that side of things, it must be euphoric and a thrill. But how do you prepare for yourself for the demands of DJs sets, and how do you adjust to the post-gig comedown?
Before I was in music, I was a personal trainer, so the gym and staying healthy is so important to me - and actually has become something that brings discipline and structure. Feeling strong and fit on stage means that you feel sharp and know that you’re going to bring your A-game. The music industry is filled with temptation, but when you’re busy and gigging, a lot of that can knock you off course. I find that feeling healthy and looking after myself makes me think twice about drinking or going to an afters when I’ve finished playing. After some sets, I love to go for drinks with mates, but other times I need a second to take in what has happened. On the big shows, it’s a huge energy exchange between you and the crowd, and that can sometimes take time to wind down from. There’s been sets where I have finished on stage, jumped in to a car, and then found myself alone in a hotel room minutes later thinking what on earth has just happened. So now, I like to take things a bit more slowly, take in the atmosphere, go and meet people that have come to see me, and hang out with other artists on the line-up. Then when you go to bed, you’ve given yourself time to unwind rather than laying there wired on adrenaline and not being able to sleep.
Can you take me back to the start. What drew you to becoming a DJ in the first place? Was music always a passion, or was there something particular about being a DJ that spoke to you?
When I first started to DJ, it was in the days that I was out raving every weekend. At the time, I was working in recruitment and it was super stressful, so I decided to get some decks at home and teach myself to mix when I got back from work as a way to chill out. It felt like meditation in many ways; it’s hard to think of anything else in that moment and so you become very present. I started by mixing vinyl on Technics 1210s and spending my weekends in record shops hunting out new tunes. Fast forward to starting the breakfast show on Rinse FM, living in London, and needing to find a way to pay sky-high rent, I began to look for gigs. From that day, I’ve been a DJ and I’ve never looked back.
You get to travel the world and play at so many amazing places. I think you could make a documentary about that! It must have so many highs and amazing moments?! Do you have particular favourite venues or countries to play?
Every day, I wake up and feel so grateful for the life I live and the job that I have. I was looking back at my Instagram recently and realising how incredible the last few years have been, and I think that it’s the travel and the variety that makes the hard work become addictive. Played Outernet in London a while ago, that was such a world-class venue. Club Chinos in Ibiza was one of the best sound systems and lighting set-ups ever. Playing on a yacht track-side for the Grand Prix in Monaco as the cars raced by was wild. Playing Tomorrowland in Belgium this year was really special, especially after everything that happened with the Main Stage. What the team achieved there in 48 hours was actually unbelievable. There was such a feeling of gratitude and unity across the festival, and it goes to show what you can do when you decide to push forward against the odds. I’d love to spend time in America next year. House music is flying over there at the moment, so I would love to tour in the States when the time is right.
I love your own music too and I know you have been recording tracks recently. Can you reveal whether a Carly Wilford E.P., mixtape or album might be released in the future?
Over the last year, I decided to pause releasing tunes and spend time in the studio refining my sound and the music I was making. It’s been so brilliant to collaborate and work with other artists and producers, and I am currently sat on some of the best music of my career. Over the summer, I have been road testing the tracks in my sets, so if you have seen me live at all, I am sure you would have heard what’s to come. Going to be releasing a run of tunes as we head in to next year, and I couldn’t be more excited.
“I feel like 2025 was all about setting the foundation and 2026 is lift off… it’s time!”
As part of this series, I am asking incredible female DJs which women they look up to. Are there particular DJ queens that you either drawn inspiration from or suggest that we check out?
From an artistry perspective, Miss Monique and Korolova are at the top of their game right now. Sonically, the music I play is different, but I have a lot of love and respect for the level that they have taken their careers to. Other producers that I rate are Azzecca, BIIANCO, Carlita, Chloé Caillet, Chelina Manuhutu, DREYA V, HoneyLuv, Jackie Hollander, Olive F, LINSKA, TSHA, SYREETA, Arielle Free, Sarah Story, Hannah Laing, Tini Gessler, JAGUAR … I hope I haven’t missed anyone, but there are so many. The Electronic music scene is so strong right now, and this list is ridiculously inspiring.
We are coming up for Christmas and the end of the year. Will you get time to relax and spend time for family? What plans are there for 2026, and how is the year shaping up so far?
Christmas is really busy for gigs, so I always get amongst it as well as spending time in the studio to finish music for next year. Looking forward to seeing my family over Christmas and unplugging a little. I’d also love to go away and get some sun and plan a trip where I am not working. 2026 is already shaping up to be incredible. I have some really exciting projects I’m working on that will be announced in the New Year, as well and starting to drop new music, which I really can’t wait to share. I feel like 2025 was all about setting the foundation and 2026 is lift off… it’s time!
Finally, I will finish this interview by playing a song of your choice. It can be one you play in your sets or a personal favourite. What shall we go with?
Tangerine Beam by Johannes Albert & Biesmans. I have it on repeat recently. They have sampled an old classic and have completely smashed it.